Whole new world opens up with Georgia links

Apr 1 2009 by Robert Mitchell, Wishaw Press

AN open day highlighting links with the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic was held at Thornlie Primary School in Wishaw.

The event was the culmination of many months of study into the East European country by pupils.

The youngsters became experts in traditional Georgian singing, dancing, cooking, costumes and wildlife during their project.

And the special guest at the open day was Georgia cultural attache Nino Sanadze, who flew up from her country’s London embassy especially to meet the children.

Nino said: “I would like to congratulate the school on the warmth of the welcome, on the quality of the pupils’ work, and on the wonderful singing and dancing. The ambassador passes on his greetings from London, and extends a welcome to the embassy for anyone connected with Thornlie Primary. We hope this relationship can develop in the years to come.”

And most impressive of all, the children’s efforts have raised over £1000 which will go towards humanitarian work in the orphanage which the school has links with, in particular contributing towards a life-saving operation for a 10-year-old called Datuna.

Other visitors included Jenny Carr from the Scottish Russian Forum, interested educationalists from the Scottish Enterprise Academy, pupil councils from a number of neighbouring schools and a number of Georgia residents living in Scotland.

The children were particularly delighted to meet up again with seamstress Janet Richards who visited the school in January to work with them on a design for a special Scottish-Georgian Friendship Quilt.

She then worked daily hand-stitching the quilt to the children’s specification. To the children’s gasps of delight, the quilt was unveiled as part of the opening presentation.

The children were supported in their presentation by Georgian musician Nana Mzavanadze and singer and ex-streetchild Shorena Getiashvili. Nana and Shorena are on a five-week cultural tour of the UK, on a visa granted at the request of London University, the British Georgian Society and Thornlie Primary School, and stayed in Lanarkshire for the week as guests of Thornlie.

And the work does not stop here.

Soon the pupils will sing with Nana and Shorena in the Hamilton Mausoleum.

The pupils will also be cooking at two charity Georgian buffet evenings in Edinburgh.